القاضِي الأَخِيرُ

The Last Qadi

القاضِي سُلَيْمانُ بنُ حَمَدٍ بَلَغَ التِّسْعِينَ. كانَ آخِرَ مَنْ يَحْمِلُ عِلْمَ الفِقْهِ الإِباضِيِّ القَدِيمِ كامِلاً.

Judge Sulayman bin Hamad had reached ninety. He was the last to carry the complete knowledge of ancient Ibadi jurisprudence.

قالَ لِنَفْسِهِ: «إِذا مُتُّ، ماتَ مَعِيَ عِلْمُ أَجْيالٍ. يَجِبُ أَنْ أَجِدَ وارِثًا.»

He said to himself: "If I die, the knowledge of generations dies with me. I must find an heir."

طَلَبَ تَلامِيذَ، فَجاءَ كَثِيرُونَ. لَكِنَّ أَحَدًا لَمْ يُعْجِبْهُ. هَذا كَسُولٌ، وَهَذا مُتَكَبِّرٌ، وَهَذا يُرِيدُ المَنْصِبَ لا العِلْمَ.

He sought students, and many came. But none pleased him. This one was lazy, that one arrogant, another wanted the position not the knowledge.

ذاتَ يَوْمٍ، جاءَ شابٌّ بَدَوِيٌّ أَشْعَثُ الشَّعْرِ، مُغْبَرُّ الثِّيابِ. قالَ: «أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ.»

One day, a Bedouin youth came with unkempt hair and dusty clothes. He said: "I want to learn."

ضَحِكَ الحاضِرُونَ: «أَنْتَ بَدَوِيٌّ جاهِلٌ! كَيْفَ سَتَفْهَمُ الفِقْهَ؟»

Those present laughed: "You are an ignorant Bedouin! How will you understand jurisprudence?"

لَكِنَّ القاضِيَ نَظَرَ فِي عَيْنَيْهِ، فَرَأَى شَيْئًا مُخْتَلِفًا: جُوعًا حَقِيقِيًّا لِلْعِلْمِ.

But the judge looked into his eyes and saw something different: a true hunger for knowledge.

قالَ: «اِجْلِسْ. لِنَرَى ماذا عِنْدَكَ.»

He said: "Sit. Let us see what you have."

اِسْمُ الشَّابِّ كانَ خَالِدًا. تَعَلَّمَ بِسُرْعَةٍ مُذْهِلَةٍ! حَفِظَ فِي شَهْرٍ ما يَحْفَظُهُ غَيْرُهُ فِي سَنَةٍ.

The youth's name was Khalid. He learned with amazing speed! He memorized in a month what others memorized in a year.

لَكِنَّ القاضِيَ أَرادَ اخْتِبارًا أَصْعَبَ.

But the judge wanted a harder test.

جاءَ رَجُلٌ غَنِيٌّ يَعْرِضُ عَلى خالِدٍ مالاً لِيَحْكُمَ لِصالِحِهِ فِي قَضِيَّةٍ. كانَ القاضِي يُراقِبُ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ.

A rich man came offering Khalid money to rule in his favor in a case. The judge was watching from afar.

رَفَضَ خالِدٌ بِحَزْمٍ: «القَضاءُ لا يُباعُ. اُخْرُجْ قَبْلَ أَنْ أُخْبِرَ القاضِيَ!»

Khalid refused firmly: "Justice is not for sale. Leave before I tell the judge!"

ابْتَسَمَ القاضِي وَقالَ: «وَجَدْتُهُ. أَنْتَ وارِثِي.»

The judge smiled and said: "I found him. You are my heir."

أَمْضَى القاضِي سَنَواتِهِ الأَخِيرَةَ يَنْقُلُ كُلَّ عِلْمِهِ لِخالِدٍ. وَحِينَ ماتَ، تَرَكَ وَراءَهُ قاضِيًا عَظِيمًا.

The judge spent his final years transferring all his knowledge to Khalid. When he died, he left behind a great judge.

قالَ خالِدٌ فِي جِنازَتِهِ: «هَذا الرَّجُلُ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُعَلِّمِي فَقَطْ. كانَ الجِسْرَ بَيْنَ الماضِي وَالمُسْتَقْبَلِ.»

Khalid said at his funeral: "This man was not just my teacher. He was the bridge between past and future."

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End